The Passion of Gotu, Goku's Daughter
by TheVegetaFiles
Summary: Set 19 years after the close of the Buu saga, Trunks has slunk into boredom during their peaceful years. When Gotu, Goku's young daughter enters his life, he is forced to find himself and determine which path his life will take. Just as he and Gotu discover feelings for each other, an evil wish to the dragon balls begins slowly killing Trunks. What does the future hold? -COMPLETE-
1. Chapter 1

It had been 19 years since Buu had been defeated. There were short interruptions of the peace, but overall, the years were quiet. During this time, Goku and Chi Chi had a third child, a girl, named Gotu who was now 18. Both Saiyan's children had drifted from fighting ways. Their lives became ones of normalcy and human comforts. Gohan had a successful career in biology and a family of his own with Videl. Goten focused on entering tournaments and winning them. With his winnings, he was able to sustain a life without working until the next tournament. Trunks was now the president of Capsule Corp. and spent most of his days at his office, while Bulla helped her mother continue to invent things. Due to Chi Chi's insistence on Gotu studying, she was able to graduate high school early and complete college with a degree in business by 18. Bulma hired her to manage some of the resources at Capsule Corp. and work for Trunks. And so our story begins…

Trunks glanced over at the nameplate on his desk. The boredom of the day was getting to him. His mother always spoke about how fortunate they all were to have experienced this type of "peace" for the last 19 years, but sometimes, he wished a little action might come their way. He assumed this is the Saiyan blood in him. A knock came at the office door. "Come in."

"Mr. Briefs, the new manager is here to meet with you." His secretary announced with a smile.

"Yes, yes, let him in." Bulma had hired a new manager without Trunks' consent. As aggressive as Trunks could be as a Saiyan, he was even more so as a business man. Most managers they had couldn't handle his high expectations. Most lasted less than a month. He was sure this would be just another man in the bucket. To his surprise, however, a young girl walked in. Her hair was a deep brown, almost black, and fell straight to her shoulders. Her eyes reminded him of Gohan's somehow, except they were the turquoise color of a super Saiyan's. She was tall and slender and had an air of optimism about her. And most of all, she looked familiar to him somehow. As she put out her hand to shake Trunks', she introduced herself, "Gotu".

"Goku's daughter?!" Trunks exclaimed. Seeing her grown up this way made him realize how long it had been since he last saw her. She had to have been 7, maybe 8, the last time. Trunks spent much of his free time with Goten at his home or out in town and simply never had occasion to visit the Son's house. Gotu laughed at his surprise.

"Yup! Your mother thought that someone with a "fresher" outlook might be able to handle you." She smiled as she spoke. Something about her last words made Trunks smile back. They spoke about their families for a short amount of time, and then they moved on to business matters.

As they got up to end the meeting she looked at Trunks inquisitively. "Trunks, do you ever wish that _something_ would happen? I mean, I don't want anyone to get hurt, but I feel like I need a challenge. At least you and Goten and Gohan all experienced a battle in your times. I've seen nothing. I constantly listen to these incredible stories. I need to experience something." She looked guilty as she said it.

"I don't think you should feel bad for feeling that way. It's in our blood to yearn for battle. But to answer your question, yes. Sometimes I do feel like I need a challenge." Suddenly, it dawned on him. "But maybe, we need to create our own challenges." Gotu looked at Trunks with a Goku-like confusion on her face. "I mean, look at our fathers. They don't sit around and hope for action. They train, constantly, with each other. Sometimes they go into space to train or with King Kai. They don't let themselves become stagnant. Maybe it's our own faults we are so bored."

Gotu's face changed from confusion to determination as she looked up and smirked at him. "You're right. So, what do you say we meet at 6 every morning before work? You have a gravity room in the corporate building, right? I say we make our fathers proud and start giving our Saiyan blood a workout."

"What?! I didn't mean… Well… I can't fight you…" Trunks looked down to his feet. 'I couldn't train with a _woman_ ' He thought.

"And why not? Is it because you think I'm too weak to give you a challenge?" A warmth and light suddenly overtook the room and Trunks looked up to find Gotu standing in front of him, a super Saiyan. A super Saiyan with immense power at that. Her eyes were the same color, but her hair had turned the signature gold and acquired volume.

"Fine." He mumbled. "But don't expect me to go easy on you. Remember, I'm a lot older than you and.." He stopped.

"And you're a man?" Gotu laughed. "Oh please, I grew up with two half-Saiyan brothers and Goku as my father. If you think I can't keep up with you just because I have breasts, then perhaps you're more like Vegeta than I thought". She smiled and powered down before leaving the office.

'Fine' Trunks thought. 'We will train together. But I'll show her that it's not so easy to keep up with me. And what did she mean by "like Vegeta" anyway?' The surprise of meeting with and planning to train with Gotu ruined his focus. About an hour after the visit ended, Trunks flew out the window to go home. There was no point in working the full day. The staff was fine and his mind was elsewhere.

He entered the Briefs' home quietly, hoping to avoid his mother's scolding. Unfortunately, as he passed the kitchen, she spotted him. "TRUNKS WHY ARE YOU HOME?! DO YOU EVER ACTUALLY STAY AT WORK FOR THE FULL DAY?!" He cringed at her high pitched voice.

"Mom, its fine. _They_ are fine. How often was grandpa ever actually at the office anyway?"

"Your grandfather stayed home and INVENTED new products for the business. It's not like he sat outside getting a tan all day. You are not an inventor. It's your responsibility to stay and manage the company."

"Sure, sure." Trunks mumbled as he walked away, hearing his mother continue to huff. She didn't understand what it was like to have Saiyan blood. The ease and boredom of an office was almost too much to bear at times.

"Trunks, wait." His mother caught up to and Trunks stopped, bracing himself for more screeching. "Did you see Gotu today?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. She seems fine. We're thinking of training some mornings before work. She's got a lot of Goku in her."

"Training? But, you haven't trained in a couple of years. Why now? And why with her?"

"We're bored, mom. You wouldn't understand. Gohan and Goten seem perfectly satisfied with an average, human life, but I guess we aren't. It's not like we can train with our fathers. We aren't even near the same level as them. Hopefully, we can give each other the challenge we're looking for. We'll see."

Bulma smirked knowingly. "I understand, Trunks. How can you think I wouldn't? Did you forget who I married? Your father is never satisfied. He always needs to be challenged. Goku gives him that challenge in training, and I give it to him in brains." She winked, and Trunks blushed.

"Uh, yeah, just do me a favor and don't tell Dad. I'm not sure I want to hear his opinion on me training with her." Bulma winked again and gave a thumbs up.


	2. Chapter 2

-BEEP BEEP BEEP- The blaring of the alarm at 5 in the morning made Trunks groan. He reached over and slammed his hand on the clock to turn it off. Shuffling into the shower, he tried to remember the last time he had really trained. It had to be at least 2 or 3 years. He never found any value in training alone, and none of the other half Saiyans had any interest in it as they grew older. Sometimes it felt like they had become too reliant on their fathers. As long as they were around and training, everything would be fine. The stories of their past triumphs proved that.

After a generous breakfast from his grandmother, Trunks began his flight over to Capsule Corp. When his mother first wanted him to take the president position, He and Vegeta had argued against it. Vegeta didn't want his son to become soft and complacent, and Trunks had become accustomed to his lack of real responsibility, but Bulma was insistent. Vegeta had made her agree to put in a gravity room at the corporate offices so that Trunks could still keep up with training. It was locked so that only Trunks' finger print could open the doors, to keep the employees safe. As he remembered Vegeta's insistence on the gravity room, he felt a slight shame overcome himself. Vegeta was right to be concerned when he took the job, apparently. He had indeed become complacent and let training slack.

Trunks' nerves started to creep up on him. 'What if Gotu has been training her whole life? I never even asked. She _could_ be stronger than me. I'm not sure I could ever live it down if I can't even keep up with Goku's petite daughter'. He thought as he landed in front of the gravity room and looked around. He realized that Gotu wasn't here yet. 'Maybe I should go in and start' He thought. 'It's been so long since I gave my super Saiyan form a workout. I probably should warm up before she gets here'.

He placed his finger on the print scanner and entered. As he ran his fingers over the control panel, he decided on 300 times normal gravity. It wasn't near what his father could do, but he didn't want to overexert himself from the start. As the gravity changed, his body became heavy. He transformed into a super Saiyan and felt the pressure ease up slightly. As he sparred with the training robots in the room, he felt his body ache for more. It was as though the muscles had been needing this all of these years, and he had never realized it. He loved it. A soft knock came at the window. 'How long has she been watching?' He wondered.

I opened the door. "Hi, Trunks! I see you started without me!" She smiled with Goku's silly grin.

"Yeah, sorry. I just thought it would be a good idea to warm myself up while I waited. Hey, um, when is the last time you trained?"

"Oh, maybe a week or so ago. I'm not a good challenge for Dad, obviously, but he still tries to get in a session or two every week with me. He was so excited to hear about our plans! He thinks it's great that we can do this together!" Trunks' heart pounded a bit when she said "a week". 'No, I won't have any problem keeping up with her. She's a girl, for goodness sake.' He thought.

"Alright, let's get started. I figure we can start at 500 times gravity and spar. I'll program the training bots so they attack us while we spar. A little extra challenge for us, sound good?"

"Sure, no problem!" She let the super Saiyan power engulf her and suddenly came at Trunks with a punch. They sparred for over three hours. They were mostly an even match, but there were also many times where she got the better of him. It wasn't even her power that was so overwhelming, but her comfort in battle. It was clear that she was more practiced than he was. It was like she could predict many of his moves. 'How does she know my fighting style so well?' He looked at his watch and powered down.

"I think we should get to the office now. It's almost 9:30." She sighed and powered down as well. Her signature grin spread her face again.

"That was AMAZING, Trunks! It's been SO long since I have had so much fun training with someone!" Trunks' eyes widened at her. It seemed like she wasn't tired from the battle at all. Trunks, however, could use a large meal and a nap. She covered her mouth and giggled. 'Maybe the look on my face gave my thoughts away'. He blushed, ashamed of his lack of stamina. As she waved and left the room, he closed the door and decided that _his_ training wasn't over.

'I need to get stronger. I can't let her be better than me. My father would never let me live it down. Maybe I'll ask Dad to start working with me again…' He wondered if Vegeta would question his sudden interest.

That evening, Trunks found his mother and father sitting in the living room. "Dad, do you think I can train with you after dinner from now on?"

Vegeta turned his head in surprise. "Does this have anything to do with your little sessions with Kakarot's daughter?"

'Of course Goku told him. I should have known…' Trunks thought.

"No." He lied. "The only reason I decided to start training with her is because I'm tired of this boring life. I need to challenge myself. I need to feel powerful again. Training with her is fine as a warm up, but I need more." He lied again.

"Fine." Vegeta smirked. "We will train every night together, Trunks. You have, indeed, become far too soft in these times of peace. It is shameful as a Saiyan that you have gone years without training. You have much to make up for."

Trunks gaped at his father for a moment. "Well, maybe not _every_ night, Dad. I mean…"

"No excuses. You will give it all you have, or you will give it nothing. Perhaps if you had not been so lazy these last few years, you would not need daily training. That, however, is the only way I will be willing to train you." Vegeta defiantly eyed Trunks.

Trunks considered for a moment what he was getting himself into. Gotu creeped into his mind again. Her immense power and stamina had embarrassed him. He would not let her continue to outpace him. His father was right, he did have much to make up for.

"Deal." He finally said.

"Excellent. Let us begin" Vegeta almost whispered as an evil glint appeared in his eye.

There were several points during their training when Trunks was convinced Vegeta was trying to kill him. He knew that his father was more powerful than he was, but he was surprised at how great the gap between them had become in these few years. After several hours, Vegeta finally stopped, and Trunks was exhausted and ashamed.

"You're pathetic, son. Do you understand why we must train _always_? If Kakarot and I chose to take a few years off, and a great evil came to our world, we would never survive. It is unacceptable to stop gaining strength because times are peaceful. Evil often does not give us a warning." Vegeta closed his eyes and left the gravity room.

Trunks clenched his fists until they began to bleed. He was beaten and bruised and tired, but more than anything, he was angry. Angry with himself for not training, and with his father for not forcing him to. But no, he couldn't blame his father. He couldn't blame anyone but himself. Suddenly, he had another wave of energy, brought on by his anger and broken pride, and it was enough. Trunks turned up the gravity again and continued to train. 'Perhaps Gotu is right. Perhaps I am more like my father than we thought..'


	3. Chapter 3

Unfortunately for Trunks, his exhausting day of training the previous day had worn him so heavily that his session with Gotu was even more embarrassing. After their session, he took the day off from work and spent the entire afternoon in the gravity room. By the evening, he could barely get up off the floor. His anger from the previous evening was returning. His body was so out of practice. He also knew he wouldn't be able to continue this level of training without some rest, but he didn't have time before his training with his father that evening. Trunks suddenly had an idea. He picked up the phone and dialed.

"Yajirobe! Korin wouldn't have some senzu beans to spare, would he?"

"Tr-Trunks? What do you need them for? I-Is something coming again? Don't make me bring them to you. I don't need to get blown up by androids again." His voice was quivering.

"God damnit, Yajirobe, no. There's nothing coming. I just need them for something. I'll come pick them up in half an hour." Trunks hung up the phone and began his flight over to Korin's.

As he stepped onto the platform, Yajirobe ran over, shaking, with the small pouch of beans. He whipped his head around appearing to be looking for someone else. "No one followed you here, right?!"

Trunks looked at Yajirobe, exasperated. It was hard to believe this man was responsible for cutting off his father's tail. His cowardice was palpable.

"No, no one followed me. I swear these are just for some training. Tell Korin I said thanks!" Trunks flew off and popped a bean into his mouth. A tingling sensation took over his entire body and he suddenly felt his full energy come back to him. The tired ache in his muscles disappeared and he felt a gain in his power just from the couple of days he had trained so far. He smirked.

Trunks landed in front of the gravity room just in time for training with his father.

"For a moment I thought you might be late, son. Are you ready to be my punching bag again this evening?"

Trunks eyed Vegeta nervously, but he was determined. "Don't go easy on me, Dad".

"Never." Vegeta breathed.

Their training session was just as intense as the previous day's, if not more so. Trunks was again exhausted by the end, but he left with fewer bruises and less bleeding this time. He felt that his reflexes for battle had returned immensely in these few days of training. Now he just needed to focus on increasing his power.

Vegeta walked into the kitchen where Bulma was sitting reading a magazine.

"So how did it go tonight?" She asked.

"Better than I expected, actually. It seems that he is determined to make up for his laziness. There has already been improvement from our training last night. For some reason, it seems the warrior within him has been awakened again. Perhaps he won't be so pathetic after all." Vegeta responded.

Bulma smiled. "And I bet I know who awakened that warrior."

"What are you talking about, Bulma? Perhaps he finally realized how insufferable his weakness had become."

"Vegeta, don't you see? You and Trunks are so much alike in many ways. Isn't it true that Goku has always pushed you to train harder and become stronger? Doesn't he motivate you? And why is that?" Bulma asked.

Vegeta was taken aback for a moment. It had been so long since they spoke about his old rivalry with Kakarot. "It always came so easy to him. While I had to work and struggle, he attained great levels while training and _enjoying_ himself. But I accepted that. I would always need to work harder to attain greatness, but I refused to let him be the only great warrior in this universe." Bulma smiled again as he finished.

"I know Goku's daughter well, Vegeta. She is so much like him. She has his power, and his optimism, and his ease of greatness. Why do you think I hired her to work directly for Trunks? I know how important it is to you that he keep his strong Saiyan heritage alive. I believe that deep down, it is important to him too, but someone needed to remind him of it, and someone needed to push him. She is challenging his pride in some of the same ways Goku has challenged yours. She is good for him." Bulma finished.

Vegeta stared open-mouthed at his wife. Since she had pushed Trunks to become the president of Capsule Corp., he had always assumed it was because she wanted Trunks to lead a safe, normal life. Now he understood that she never wanted him to give up his proud heritage. Instead, she just wanted him to carry some of her family's greatness as well. She wanted the Saiyan pride to be kept alive, however, because of how much it meant to Vegeta. His expression softened slightly.

"Sometimes I forget how intelligent you are, Bulma." Vegeta whispered to her.

Several weeks had passed, and it was a Saturday morning. Trunks and Gotu had agreed to meet at his house and use the gravity room there to train. Gotu arrived at the Briefs' home and rang the doorbell.

"BLAST IT! WHO WOULD BE HERE AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR ON A SATURDAY?!" Vegeta screamed. Saturday was the only day Vegeta ever allowed himself extra sleep. The bell was ringing at 5:30 this morning.

Trunks heard his father's outburst and attempted to run to the door first, but Vegeta beat him to it. He opened the door and saw Gotu standing there. Her goofy grin expanded on her face again and she waved at the prince.

"Hey Vegeta! I haven't seen you in a while! You and Dad have been training in the wastelands again I guess, huh?" Trunks peered over his father and waved to Gotu as she spoke.

"Why are you here?" Vegeta asked.

"Dad, I invited her to train here in the gravity room. We didn't want to miss a day now that we're seeing such good results together." He blushed slightly as he said 'together', but Gotu didn't notice.

"Hmph. Next time, don't ring the doorbell. Just agree to meet at the gravity room." Vegeta stomped off back to his and Bulma's bedroom.

"Sorry." Trunks muttered. "I forgot how irritated Dad gets when he's woken too early on a Saturday. Although, it wasn't that long ago that I felt the same way." Gotu laughed. Trunks had recently begun opening up to her about just how much his training had been lacking in the last few years. He had lost his passion for battle in that time, but she admired his determination to make up for it.

Trunks noticed that Gotu was not in her normal training gear. Typically, she wore an outfit similar to Goku's Gi. Hers was slightly different. Instead of pants, the bottom half was cut into shorts and it was countered in a more feminine way. Today, however, she wore a deep green tank top with black spandex shorts and black gloves. Her hair was also pulled up into a bun with two strands of hair framing her face, reminding Trunks of Chi Chi. She didn't look like his sparring partner. She looked like a beautiful, young Saiyan woman. She smiled at him as he attempted to compose his thoughts.

"Earth to Trunks! Are you ready to start? I say we up the gravity a bit today, and see if we can't push ourselves some more!" She was always encouraging Trunks to push himself further. It always seemed to come so easy to her. He often wondered if her power had any limits.

"Sure." He sighed and they started to the gravity room.


	4. Chapter 4

In the depths of HFIL, a long forgotten enemy had been training. After Freeza had killed Vegeta on planet Namek, he spent a short amount of time in HFIL before being revived by the dragon balls. It was here that he met a man known as Refone. Refone had once been the leader of a great alien warrior civilization. Vegeta and his team had killed Refone and most of his men in the name of Freeza. Nappa had been the one to destroy Refone himself, and so he never knew the name of the Saiyan prince who had eliminated most of his subjects. When Vegeta entered HFIL, he bragged of his great conquests and it was then that Refone knew that this was the man who should be held accountable for the blood of his people.

After Freeza's destruction, some of his men who had not accompanied him on the journey, left to find a planet to inhabit. Some of these surviving men were former warriors of Refone's people, the Wiress people. These men heard of the dragon balls during their time with Freeza, and were able to collect them and revive Refone.

Refone appeared before three of his greatest men, Atandt, Spantru, and Verizio. He was alive. His men explained how they had brought him back to the world of the living. They were already on Earth, and Refone could sense that Vegeta was on this planet.

"There is something we must do, my men. I met the disgusting Saiyan responsible for our destruction during my time in Hell. Shortly after we met, he was also brought back by the dragon balls. I recognize his energy on this planet. While it has grown considerably, I know it is him. He is unique. We must take our vengeance." Refone scowled, deep in his hatred for the haughty prince.

His men nodded with vigor. It had been decades since they were able to be in the presence of their once great leader. To be able to see him again, and gain vengeance for their people, was more than even they had hoped for in reviving him.

"But Sir," Verizio began. "Do we possess the strength to destroy this Saiyan? He has already destroyed our people once, when he was much weaker, in fact. How will we defeat him now?"

"Ah, my dear Verizio, you see, I have learned many new tactics during my time in Hell. We will wait. I will teach you these strategies and we will strike at the right moment. Battle is not always about sheer strength. Hell brought me many great companions who have also fought Vegeta. It seems that he often forgets that brute strength is not the only factor that determines a victor in battle."

Another month had gone by, and Trunks and Gotu both had achieved a power beyond their expectations in this short time. Training together had been one of the greatest turning points of Trunks' life, next to the great battle with Buu. She pushed him to be stronger, better, and tougher. He found that the pride of his father burned within him as his power continued to grow. One evening after a long day of training, Gotu and Trunks sat outside of the Briefs' home, sipping wine.

"Gotu, do you ever think about the Saiyan blood line, in the future?" Trunks asked.

"What do you mean, Trunks? I mean, my niece Pan is the next generation of Saiyan." She replied.

"I know, but think about it, she's only a quarter Saiyan, right? What happens when she has a child and they are an eighth Saiyan? Will the Saiyan blood still give our descendants the power that we have? Because if it doesn't, what happens If these great evils keep coming to Earth? When will it be destroyed?"

Gotu stared at Trunks as he finished. It wasn't often that they had such serious conversations. Most of their time was spent training, but recently they began relaxing together after their sessions.

"Well, I guess, nothing can ever last forever. Whether we Saiyans ever existed on this planet or not, it doesn't change the fact that it probably wouldn't exist forever. And honestly, most of the evil that has come here has come for the Saiyans. Yes, not always, but most. But, ultimately, there's really nothing we can do about what happens when we aren't here anymore."

Trunks shook his head at Gotu. "I don't think that's true. I think it's important for us Saiyans to work and train, and to teach our children to fight for this world. We need to pass down these stories of our fathers and remind them how important it is to be prepared. With even an ounce of Saiyan blood and the passion to be our best, I think, this world has a chance at an eternity." Trunks looked up to the sky as he spoke. There was a fire inside his soul to protect this world that he never experienced before.

"Trunks…" Gotu reached out her hand to touch his shoulder. "You're right. Our father's strength doesn't come just from their Saiyan blood. Vegeta's past has taught us that. Blood can only get you so far. Our passion and determination to protect is what will save this world, _always_." Gotu realized at this moment that they had changed. When she and Trunks had met, they were both so simple. Trunks was absorbed in himself and the success of his company. Gotu sought strength only for her own enjoyment and strength. Now, they were both more focused and passionate. Passionate about protecting this world and achieving the greatness of their father's. They wanted nothing more than to be the next protectors of this world.

As Gotu's hand touched Trunks' shoulder, he turned his head slowly and smiled at her. These last couple of months had changed him. He was a warrior again. Somehow, with Gotu's help, he had combined the altruism of Goku and the great pride of Vegeta. He felt like he had found himself.

"It wouldn't have been possible without you…" He muttered to himself as he touched her hand with his own.

"What, Trunks?" Gotu asked, confused.

"What we've achieved. It's because of you. You push me and incite a fire in me I thought had gone out a long time ago…" Trunks blushed as he realized the intensity of his words.

"Hey, kids! Need a snack? What a beautiful night it is!" Bulma ran over to them with a tray of food before realizing she had interrupted something. "OH! Did I…? I'll just go…"

"No, mom! It's nothing. We were just having a good conversation, that's all. Thanks for the food." Trunks laughed nervously as he whipped his hand from Gotu's.

'Nothing? For a moment there, I thought Trunks had feelings for me…" Gotu thought.

Bulma went back into the kitchen where Vegeta, Goku, and Chi Chi sat talking. The two couples tried to have dinner at the Briefs' home at least once a month. Tonight happened to be one of those evenings. She looked slightly surprised and sat down quietly next to them.

"Bulma, since when have you _ever_ entered a room without uttering a word?" Vegeta asked.

"I think Trunks and Gotu have feelings for each other!" She blurted.

Goku started to laugh, knowingly, while Vegeta had a slight blush come over his cheeks.

"Well, why not?" Goku asked. "I'm not really surprised. They've spent so much time together over the last few months. When you are with someone constantly, these things just happen, am I right, Vegeta?" Goku's eyes narrowed teasingly as he nudged Vegeta, remembering how his time training at the Briefs' home had resulted in the conception of Trunks so long ago.

"God damnit, Kakarot. Must you always be so vulgar? I suppose, if Trunks has to be with someone, a woman with Saiyan blood is the most acceptable." Bulma scowled.

"And what, may I ask, is wrong with a human woman?" She screeched.

"Uh, well, nothing really. It's just, the blood line and such. You know. I mean, if two half Saiyans have a child, it maintains the line for another generation. As the prince of the Saiyans, it's my duty to be concerned about these matters…" Vegeta hoped he had redeemed himself somewhat, but Bulma's suspicious expression told otherwise. Goku continued to laugh as the couples drank and enjoyed each other's company well into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello….? Yeah, yeah we can go out tonight. It has been a few weeks. Maybe we can do something a little more low-key? Yeah, whatever you want…" –Click- Trunks hung up the phone. It had been a little while since he spent any time with Goten. In their late teen years, all they did was go out to clubs and try to pick up girls, but then Trunks had become focused on his work. Goten, however, never completely changed and yet again, he wanted to go out to a club with Trunks. Reluctantly, he had agreed. Suddenly, there was a soft knock at his door. "Come in".

"Hey, Trunks! It's almost quitting time! I was wondering if you wanted to do an extra training session tonight at your place? I've been practicing some new moves I want to test." It was Gotu and she looked excited.

Trunks sighed. "Sorry, Gotu. I promised Goten we would go out after work. He's been bugging me for weeks now. Between this new account and all of our training, I haven't really had much time for him." Trunks put a hand to his forehead and looked exasperated for a moment before noticing the disappointment that colored Gotu's face. Her broad smile faltered for a second and her eyes flashed sadly, but almost as soon as Trunks' noticed, it was gone. Her smile returned.

"And where are you two venturing out tonight?" She asked.

"Oh, I don't know. I tried to convince him to just go get coffee or something, but he insists we go out to The Corp Club tonight. He practically begged me to go with him. Apparently, there's some gorgeous girl who is supposed to be there tonight and he's trying to convince her to go out with him. He probably just wants me to tag along and be his wing man." Trunks rolled his eyes as he said the last sentence.

"Well, try to have fun! A little dancing never killed anyone, right?" She laughed and waved her goodbyes before leaving.

Trunks knocked on the door at the Son's house. Even though Goten had good money from all of the tournament's he won each year, he still refused to move away from home. Gotu had moved to a small home nearby, but spent many hours at home with her family. Sure enough, as Trunks entered the house, she was there, sitting beside Goten, Goku, and Chi Chi, laughing as her father slapped a giant fish on the table.

"MMMMM! This will be DELICIOUS!" Gotu exclaimed as she smiled pleasantly at her father. The Sons looked up as they heard Trunks enter.

"Hey, bro! Why don't you sit and have a quick bite to eat with us before we head out? We're gonna be burning the midnight oil tonight, if you know what I mean." Goten nudged Trunks with a wink as Trunks blushed slightly and sat down for dinner. The family laughed happily through dinner as the Saiyans gorged themselves and Chi Chi lovingly fed them.

"Gotu…" Chi Chi turned to her daughter. "Why don't you go out with the boys tonight? You never get out and have any fun! Goten, wouldn't you like your sister to come with you boys?" Goten turned to his mother with an irritated look on his face, but he immediately changed his face when he saw his mother's heated glare staring back at him.

"Uh, oh, yeah. That would be… great… I guess." He sputtered.

"No, mom, the guys don't want me tagging along, it's fine." Gotu shook her head.

"Nonsense!" Chi Chi shouted. "You never have any fun, and I demand you go out with them tonight. Besides, how do you ever expect to find a husband if all you ever do is work and train?!" Gotu blushed at the word "husband".

"Fine. I'll go if it makes you happy." Gotu said. Chi Chi nodded and sat down with a celebratory grin on her face.

Gotu ran into her room to get ready. She had been in her training gear at dinner. She hopped in the shower and quickly washed up. 'Maybe I'll wear my hair down tonight' She thought. As she brushed her deep brown hair, she wondered how she _would_ ever find a husband. She was different. Vastly different. How could she ever find someone that she didn't need to hide her strength from? She sighed as she went through the clothes in her closet. 'I guess you never know. Mom is just a normal human and she and dad seemed to have worked out fine'. She smiled to herself and nodded, determined to just let fate fall into place and not let her mother's pushiness concern her.

She pulled out a forest green, sleeveless dress. It came around her neck like a turtle neck, but was made of a light cotton fabric and came down right above her knees. She put on just a little eye shadow and lip gloss and ran out to meet her brother and Trunks.

Trunks heard her footsteps coming up behind him. He didn't know what he expected, but it wasn't this. She went into her room the cheerful, strong Gotu, clad in a training outfit, and came out looking like a fun, exciting, and beautiful woman. It felt like his heart stopped for a moment as his eyes traveled from her legs to her smooth hair. 'How have I not noticed before now how beautiful she is?' He caught his thought and shook his head vigorously to rid himself of it. No, this was his best friend's sister and the daughter of his father's greatest rival. She was his sparring partner and could be nothing more to him.

"Well, are we going to get going?" She jumped up, excited for the evening. Goten scowled at her.

"What on earth are you wearing?" He asked.

"It's called a dress, dummy. Get a grip." She waved her hand through the air, dismissing him.

"Ugh, but do you have to look like _that_? We are going to a club, you know. If the guys see you walking in looking like that, I will have to spend all my time chasing them off instead of convincing Elise to go out with me." He complained. "Hey, wait! Trunks, you can watch over Gotu while I focus my… energy..." He winked.

"Uh, yeah, sure…" Trunks looked unsurely at Gotu. "I'm sure she can handle herself though, Goten. She is a super Saiyan, after all. She isn't your helpless baby sister anymore…" Trunks trailed off as his mind wandered to her beautiful form again. Goten raised his eyebrow at the slightly dreamy expression that played across Trunks' face.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. Whatever, let's go. I can't miss Elise!" Goten took off, with Trunks and Gotu trailing behind.

They arrived at the Capsule Club a little before 10 at night. As soon as they walked in, Goten was off scoping out the crowd to find his prey. Gotu ran straight for the bar area and ordered some food. She definitely had the Saiyan appetite. Even after the very filling dinner they had before their arrival, she was still already starving. As she sat waiting for her food, two young men sat next to her.

"Hey, I haven't seen you here before. What's your name?" One of the men asked her.

"Gotu. What's yours?" She smiled politely.

"Barden. This is my friend Jerich. Unfortunately, we're here quite a bit. We manage the musical talent here, so that's how I always know a new face." Barden smiled warmly back at Gotu. They began to talk as Gotu ate her food. Eventually, Jerich left the bar to dance, but Barden continued to sit with Gotu. She learned that Barden was consistently the second place champion at the World Martial Arts tournaments. "I just can't ever seem to beat that Goten Son. He's amazing; I've never seen anything like it. Honestly, if I have to come in second place all the time, I'm glad it's to someone as incredible as him."

His humility was fascinating to Gotu. Saiyans were overly confident and somewhat prideful by nature. She was surrounding by these characteristically cocky Saiyan men her whole life. She wasn't used to a person who simply accepted being second best, but still always tried to better himself and compete. She admired his determination.

As the hours passed, Trunks turned down every girl who attempted to speak to him, and instead, watched Gotu interacting with a man at the bar. His strawberry blonde hair was cut short, and he had deep green eyes. He was good looking, and for some reason, that made Trunks deeply dislike him. He kept glancing back over to the bar and back at his watch. They had been chatting for an hour now, and it looked like she was enjoying it. 'Stop it' He thought. 'She's like your sister. She's Goten's sister. You're just worried this guy is a scum bag. '

Barden's hand brushed against Gotu's. It was at that point Trunks had had enough. He tracked down Goten and grabbed his arm. "We're leaving" He muttered darkly. Goten struggled against Trunks, but eventually came along.

"The hell is your problem, man? Whatever, at least I finally got Elise to say yes to a date. We're going out Saturday night!" Goten gave Trunks a "thumbs up" as they walked through the club.

"Humph" Trunks growled. "Go find your damn sister so we can leave." Goten walked off, irritated, to get Gotu.

'What the hell is his problem all of a sudden?' He wondered. As Goten reached Gotu at the bar, he finally noticed her interaction with Barden. They were laughing loudly as he approached. "Gotu, we need to head home; it's almost one in the morning." He glared at Barden.

"Oh my gosh, I didn't even notice!" She exclaimed.

"Wait! How do you know Goten?!" Barden asked, surprised.

"Oh… I guess I forgot to mention that he's my older brother!" Gotu laughed at the shocked expression on Barden's face. "Trust me, I know how strong my brother is, and it's fantastic that you can compete with him at all. It was so nice to talk to you!" Gotu smiled and rushed out before Barden could ask her for her number or address. 'Damn' He thought. 'She's amazing… I need to be able to see her again.'


	6. Chapter 6

Trunks couldn't stop thinking about how much he disliked Barden. He had told Goten the day after their trip to the club that he thought he was a cocky ass. Goten, however, had told Trunks that Barden was actually a pretty good guy, and easily one of the strongest humans on the planet. Trunks then punched Goten in the face and hadn't spoken to him in three days. It was just after dinner that evening when the doorbell rang. He waited, assuming one of the maids would answer the door. The doorbell rang again and again, until Trunks' irritation took over and he got up to answer it. Nothing could prepare him for what he saw as he opened the door.

"Hey, Trunks. Remember me from the other night at the club? I recognized you from the Capsule Corp. publications and found out you live her. "It was Barden.

"Where the hell do you get off coming to my house uninvited?" Trunks shouted.

"Uh, sorry. It's just… Well, I remember seeing you walk in with Gotu, and she didn't leave her number or address with me before she left and… I just really wanted to get a hold of her. I don't know if you noticed, but she and I seemed to be really hitting it off."

Trunks shook with anger as his super Saiyan powers began to creep upon him, outside of his control. "I will never give her number, or address, or left fucking sock. Now leave my property before I print out your picture for the security guards to remember you by. And they don't shoot to injure." Trunks slammed the door, causing the house to shake as Barden ran off, afraid of the yellow glow that had appeared around Trunks.

"Well, well." Trunks whipped his head around to find his father standing in the hallway. "Interesting how upset you became at the mention of Kakarot's daughter from that handsome young man's mouth. Is there something you might like to tell me? Are you two interested in one another?"

Trunks turned his face away. "No, dad, she is not interested in me." Trunks ignored his father's confused stare and walked to his room on the fifth floor. 'Dad's right. My reaction didn't make any sense. Unless, I do have feelings for her…' His mind flashed back to her green dress and straight chocolate-brown hair. But in the same moment, he remembered Goten, his best friend, someone who he could never betray by pursuing his little sister. Trunks fell onto his bed, and dreamed about tiny chocolate and lavender haired little Saiyans running around the Capsule Corp lawn.

The next morning, Gotu and Goten were sitting at the table eating breakfast. "Goten, you haven't spoken to Trunks recently, have you?" She asked.

"Not for a few days. Last time we spoke he was a total prick and punched me in the damn face just for saying Barden was a decent guy! I don't know what his issue with him is. But wait, don't you guys usually train in the mornings before work? Haven't you spoken to him during your sessions?"

"Yeah, we do, but he suddenly took the week off and I tried to call him a couple of days ago to see if he wanted to train anyway, but I just keep getting his voicemail. I was thinking of flying over there to see him after work today. I'm worried he might be sick or something."

Goten's eyes narrowed. "And so what if he is? You gonna go over there and take care of him or something? You know that's how Vegeta and Bulma ended up with Trunks in the first place, right? Playing nurse never ends well."

Gotu blushed furiously. "What in the hell, Goten?! I'm not going to sleep with Trunks because he might be sick! Are you serious? We're just friends!"

"Yeah, so were Vegeta and Bulma back then. Well, I'm not even sure you can say they were _friends_. They tolerated each other. At least, that's what dad told me. Besides, I'm starting to wonder how long being friends can really last between you two. Can you honestly tell me you feel _nothing_ for him?"

Gotu dropped her gaze to her feet. She hadn't really thought about it. There was that one time when she had wondered if Trunks might feel something for her, but she never thought about her feelings. All of her life, she had been homeschooled and almost never left her home. The only people she knew growing up were her family and the other Z fighters and their families. She had never had romantic feelings for anyone. How could she even know what that felt like? "I don't know…" She mumbled.

Goten sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "It does make me uncomfortable to think of the two of you together… but, I'm okay with it. Just know that. And I do think you should go see him. I'm sure he misses you." Goten had realized the night after they had gone to the club that something was up with Trunks. He used to always dance with the many young women who threw themselves at him. That night had been different and it only took Goten noticing Trunks watching Gotu a few times before he realized what was going on. The punch in the face during their conversation about Barden was just confirmation.

The sun had started to set and Trunks sat outside at Capsule Corp. watching the sky change colors. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the cool evening breeze brushing against his face. Gotu's image danced before his mind. He saw her strong and confident in her training clothes, with her goofy grin. Then he saw her in that green dress. A much more subdued expression on her face; calm and ready to have fun. He shook his head and opened his eyes. There she was again. But this time, her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. She wore jean shorts and a red tank top. When he looked up at her eyes, he realized she wasn't in his mind; she was here.

"What are you doing here, Gotu?" He stood up, surprised.

"Well, I was worried about you. It's not often you take vacation time, and you weren't taking any calls and didn't even tell anyone at the office why you needed time off so suddenly. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Sorry, I just… Needed to clear my head is all. I'm fine." Trunks began to turn away when Gotu grabbed his wrist.

"Come train with me." She whispered in his ear and pointed to the gravity room in the yard. The tingle of her soft voice tickling against his ear made his stomach lurch. He followed her into the gravity room and they stood facing each other for several minutes before starting. A few minutes in, Trunks made an excellent hit to Gotu's side. She slammed hard against the floor and lost her super Saiyan form. Trunks rushed down to ensure she was okay. After a minute, her eyes fluttered back open and she laughed.

"Amazing hit, Trunks! That's the first time you can ever say you've knocked me out. Looks like you're _finally_ improving." Gotu teased.

Trunks smirked. "We do make great partners; don't you think?"

Gotu's expression suddenly became serious. "Wha… What's wrong?" He stuttered.

"You're looking at me different." She stated. "You're looking at me the way you did when I came out to go to the club with you and Goten. Why?"

Trunks' cheeks turned a bright shade of scarlet as he turned away from her and tried to think of an explanation. "I don't know what you mean" was unfortunately all he could muster.

Gotu scowled and walked toward the exit. "I don't want to spar with someone who can't even tell me the truth." Gotu knew what she was doing. She needed to hear Trunks say it to know how she felt. She needed him to be the first.

"Gotu… I… I'm just… I'm having a hard time viewing you as just a friend all of a sudden. And I'm sorry because I know you're Goten's sister and you probably don't feel the same because we've known each other forever, but I can't help it. You're beautiful, and strong, and smart, and positive. I don't have a lot of positivity in my life. Between all of the battles I've fought, my constant work, and my crazy parents, you're the light."

Gotu stared at Trunks in amazement. His words sunk deep into her soul and she felt as though she might explode. She realized in that moment how she filled a void in his life. She gave him passion, confidence, and optimism that his life had lacked. And she realized, in turn, that he gave her stability, reason, and focus. They were better, together.

Gotu turned to Trunks. "I want to be together" She whispered. Before she knew what was happening, his lips met hers in a soft embrace. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she invited his kiss, parting her lips asking for more. It felt right. Both Trunks and Gotu suddenly felt as though they had been two, separate, and incomplete people until that moment when they finally stopped worrying about what everyone else though, and started focusing on what they wanted. The kiss was perfect, until Vegeta walked into the gravity room.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF VEGETA KIND OF TRAINING IS THIS?! This is a training room, not a love nest! Such a disgrace the two of you!" Their eyes shot open in surprise. Gotu and Trunks blushed furiously as they scampered out of the room, leaving a surprised Vegeta in their wake.

Trunks continued to train with his father daily, but he and Gotu reserved their training for week days before work. Instead, on weekends, they spent their days enjoying each other's company. Another couple of months passed as one winter afternoon, they sat snuggled in the Briefs' living room watching a movie.

"Trunks, I feel as though our peace might be breaking soon." She stared up into his face as she spoke, unsure of his reaction.

"I know. I feel it too." He said. She looked at him, surprised.

"Do you think we are prepared?" She asked.

He smiled before responding. "Blood can only get us so far, but our passion and determination to protect is what will save this world, _always_."

Gotu smiled. He remembered their conversation from their first training session so many months ago. That was exactly what she told him as they mused about the future safety of the Earth. She reached up and pulled his face close to hers. As her lips pressed his, they both faded away into another world; a world where only they existed, together. Gotu entangled her fingers into Trunks' lavender hair, pulling him harder against her lips. His hand traveled to her waist and began to caress the curves of her body. The spent hours intertwined with each other kissing this way.

It was then that a new feeling grew within Trunks; desire. His hand caressed the side of her face and slowly moved again to her slim waist. Gotu sighed as she felt his strong hands stroke her waist. Her hands began to find their way under his shirt and she drew her nails along the contours of his muscled chest, eliciting a low groan from his lips. They had never become so intimate before. It was new and full of passion, and neither one wanted it to end.

Suddenly, Trunks stopped her and parted their lips. She looked at him questioningly.

"Let's go to my room." He whispered and lifted her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she took in his scent. The scent that made her melt.

Vegeta and Bulma got up early the next morning. They were supposed to be arriving at Kame House by 8 for breakfast. As they walked into the living room, Vegeta noticed Gotu's jacket still draped over the couch. He began to panic slightly as he realized what this must mean. 'I'm not sure Bulma will take well to the idea of her son sleeping with someone in our home…" He thought. Nonchalantly, he tried to shuffle over to where the jacket laid on the couch and move it underneath one of the pillows.

"Vegeta, what on Earth are you standing over there looking like a crazy person for?" Bulma asked as she looked down at the jacket in Vegeta's hands. Her eyes widened with surprise. "IS SHE STILL HERE FROM LAST NIGHT?!" She exclaimed.

"Bulma, calm down. We both knew they were seeing each other. This really shouldn't come as any surpr…" Bulma's face distorted with rage and her husband braced himself for the implosion, but it never came. Instead, tears began to stream down her face. Vegeta stared at her, utterly bewildered.

"My little boy is growing up..." She stuttered. "He's 27 years old, has a job, and a girlfriend, and now he's having… he's having… SEX." She blurted and continued to cry. She forced herself against Vegeta's chest and he embraced her. "I think he will end up marrying her. I think she's the one." She cried harder. Vegeta smirked as his wife mourned the loss of the need her adult son once had for her.

Gotu woke up with a start as she realized she had spent the night in Trunks' bed. Her shock was eased as she felt his strong arms still surrounding her as she looked over his muscled chest. Every inch of his body was perfect. She couldn't imagine ever being with anyone but him.

The feeling in the pit of her stomach suddenly returned. That feeling that something was coming; their peace would be shattered soon. She glanced over at Trunks again as her face contorted with a look of concern and sadness. "Trunks… are we ready?" She whispered.

Refone and his men had been training heavily over these last few months, but this was not to ready themselves for the battle with Vegeta. No, the dragon balls were their concern. They trained as they waited for the right moment. Refone turned his attention to his men one evening.

"It is time that we procure the dragon radar. The security surrounding the Briefs' home has been confirmed as sufficiently lazy. We have been able to confirm that the woman keeps the radar in her main office at their home. Our cohort will get it for us, and we will make our wish. Vegeta will have no chance once we have done so…"

His men pumped their fists in the air with excitement. Soon they would no longer need to hide in the woods of this miserable planet. Soon, they would rule the planet and kill the Saiyan prince.


	7. Chapter 7

Things had been a bit awkward at the Briefs' home for Trunks and Gotu since they slept together three weeks ago. Gotu spent most of her extra time there in the following weeks, and Bulma and Vegeta would eye them uncomfortably. Trunks hadn't told them yet that he and Gotu were a couple. He simply didn't want to have that conversation with them, but he had been thinking he wouldn't have a choice soon. Vegeta, Bulma, Gotu, and Trunks sat outside on the patio eating lunch. Trunks eyed Gotu longingly. He couldn't focus on his meal, and instead, let his thoughts wander to getting alone with her again. Gotu caught his gaze a few times during the meal and tried in vain to suppress a blush.

"So, Vegeta…" Bulma started. "Isn't it interesting how Gotu spends just about every waking moment here all of a sudden?" She eyed Trunks mischievously.

"Why, yes. It's also interesting how they claim to be spending their extra time training, yet, when I look at the gravity room logs, I never see them in there when they say they are." Vegeta replied. Trunks choked as he realized what they were getting at. He spit out the iced tea he had slurped down as his parents continued their conversation.

"What could it all mean, Vegeta?" Bulma asked innocently.

"Well, Bulma, I suspect that it means our son takes us for a couple of old fools." Bulma and Vegeta turned to Trunks knowingly.

"So…. Yeah, Gotu and I are… Sort of together…" He mumbled. Bulma nodded and the table fell silent for several minutes before Trunks couldn't stand it. He looked back and forth between his mother and father and blurted out, "Don't you have _anything_ to say about it?"

"Hmph. I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, she is Kakarot's daughter. He is my greatest rival and my son is with his daughter. On the other hand, your children would be half Saiyans, preserving the blood line further for another generation." Trunks' cheeks turned scarlet.

"Jeez, dad! We just started dating! We are a long way from the thought of children!"

Suddenly, the sky darkened as though it was night. The family looked around frantically trying to determine the cause. It dawned on Bulma as she shouted "Shenron! But who could be summoning Shenron and why?" Almost as quickly as it happened, the sky went back to its normal shade of light blue. "Let's just hope that was that idiot Pilaf wishing for a million zeni again…"

Little did they know, this was not the case. Suddenly, Vegeta and Trunks fell to their knees grasping at their chests in pain. "Vegeta… Trunks?! What is it?!" Bulma screamed. Their breathing became extremely labored and sweat began to form on their foreheads. Bulma attempted to guide them over to the couches in the living room. It took several minutes and significant struggle on her part, but eventually she got Vegeta laying down. Gotu carried Trunks over easily. She placed her hand gently on Trunks' forehead and felt it burning. That's when she noticed how he clutched his hand to his heart and she gasped. "It… It can't be… Is this Goku's heart disease from when he fought the androids? But how can you both have it so suddenly?" Bulma questioned.

Then it hit her. Someone had made a wish to Shenron, and Trunks and Vegeta had suddenly come down with the deadly virus. The problem was that without Goku's passing and the ensuing destruction that had occurred in future Trunks' time, Bulma had yet to develop the life-saving drug for the rare heart virus. She had begun the development process, but didn't have a final product yet, and had estimated it would still be another several months. If someone really had wished for this virus to attack her husband and son, they must be coming for them.

"Gotu! I think this is the heart disease that once attacked your father. The problem is, it appears that Trunks and Vegeta have it in full force and the antidote doesn't exist yet. I haven't finished developing it and what little we saved from the batch Goku used from the future I already used in my initial testing process. This has to be the work of that wish to Shenron. You need to contact your father, Gohan, Goten, whoever you can get a hold of. I have a feeling this is going to get bad very quickly."

Gotu nodded but let her stare linger on Trunks for a few moments. A few lavender locks stuck to his sweating forehead and she gently brushed them away. She could feel the extreme heat radiating from his body and knew she needed to hurry. She placed a gently kiss on his lips and his body seemed to relax slightly. Bulma smiled as she watched the exchange pass between the two. It brought her back to the days when she nursed Vegeta back to health after his gravity room accidents.

Gotu got up and rushed to the nearest phone. She dialed her parent's home first, praying that someone would be home to pick it up. As each ring passed, she became less and less hopeful. Finally, it went to voicemail. She then tried Goten's cellphone which immediately announced that it had been disconnected. Next, she dialed Gohan's home and Videl picked up.

"VIDEL! Something bad is happening. Don't know what. Need Gohan." She sputtered out the information to a confused Videl. She told Gotu he was in the library, and she left to fine him and bring him to the phone. Gotu's patience was wearing thin as one, two, three minutes passed, until finally, Gohan picked up.

"Gotu? What's going on? Videl said it was an emergency."

"I need you at Capsule Corp., NOW. I have no time to explain and honestly, I don't know much myself but I expect we will need to fight soon. Do you know where the hell Goten and dad are? Goten's cell didn't even ring for me."

"Yeah, Goten got a new cell number. Something about some crazy girl calling him nonstop trying to tell him she was pregnant even though he never even slept with her."

"THE NUMBER, GOHAN!" Gotu yelled. She didn't have time to hear about Goten's girl problems. Gohan got her the number and they hung up. She dialed the new number quickly and Goten picked up this time.

"What do you want?" He answered.

"Are you serious? I never call you, ever, unless it's important and _that's_ how you answer? NEVERMIND. Trunks and Vegeta are in bad shape and we think it's the doing of the dragon balls and someone evil. I need you and dad to come to Capsule Corp. now. Gohan is already on his way."

"Fine, I'll go see if I can find dad. He was supposed to be training in the mountains today meditating. It might take me a bit, but I'll get there as soon as we can."

Gotu rushed back into the living area where Trunks and Vegeta lay, passed out from their illness. She looked around and was unable to find Bulma. "Hm… Maybe she went to get them something." As she began to step into the kitchen, a punch landed on her cheek and sent her reeling back, crashing through a wall. She pushed away pieces of the rubble as she tried to wrap her mind around what just occurred. She stumbled to stand upright again and clear her vision of the dust that surrounded her. As it cleared, she could finally make out three figures standing in front of her, one with Bulma in his clutches and a blade just touching the edge of her throat. Gotu gasped.

"Who are you?! Leave her alone!" She yelled as she powered up to a super Saiyan.

"Ah ah ah…" The shorter man wagged his finger at her. All three of the men had faces and bodies with a human-like build to them. However, their skin seemed to be made purely of sapphires. They appeared slightly transparent like glass, but the blue was deep and mesmerizing. Where a human-like nose should have been, there was nothing. The shorter of the two had short black hair, while the other two were bald. The shorter man continued.

"If you try to fight us, we will kill the woman." He gestured to Bulma. "But I shall explain. My name is Refone, Verizio is holding on to your friend, and Atandt was the one who welcomed you so kindly. Now, if you don't come with us, we will slit her throat and my two assistants here would be happy to have some fun with you." Atandt powered up and suddenly, Gotu could feel his strength wash over her body. He was strong. Too strong. If Verizio had near the power Atandt did, she would be no match for the two of them. Gohan would still likely be at least another thirty to forty minutes away, and Gotu was concerned she wouldn't last that long. She stared at Bulma for a moment who was being choked into silence and finally, Gotu looked to Refone and nodded.

"Fine, where are we going?" Gotu asked. Refone eyed her as a smile crept onto his shimmering face.

"You'll see. Take Atandt's hand. I promise we won't kill you yet." Atandt stretched out his hand with a disgusted look on his face. Gotu reached out, still unsure if she was making the right decision, and with a pop, the five people were gone.


	8. Chapter 8

The group appeared in a bunker deep within the northern mountains. Somehow, Refone had the ability to use instant transmission to get them there. Before Gotu even felt her feet touch the ground, she was thrown into a prison cell that was surrounded by a deep blue electricity. Bulma was immediately thrown in beside her, clutching at her neck where she had been choked. Atandt slammed the cell door shut and smirked before beginning to walk away.

Gotu reached her hand out slowly to touch the bars and her finger was burned deeply. It began to blister. 'What on Earth?' She thought. The enclosure was like a giant animal cage that you would see tigers or bears in at the zoo, but there was some magic involved with it.

Refone stepped to the edge of the cage and chuckled. "Remember, my dear, that Shenron grants us two wishes. One, as I imagine you have realized, I used to cause a heart virus to attack Vegeta and Trunks. The other, was to be given a place where I could imprison even the strongest of warriors. This is the magic of Shenron. You will not be able to get out, so I wouldn't waste your energy trying. Just being around the electricity is likely to sap your strength over time." Refone smiled darkly and left the room.

Gotu scowled as the door closed. She then went to Bulma's side and looked at her neck. There was a bruise beginning to form where she had been choked. "Are you okay, Bulma?"

"I'm fine… But… You should have just let him kill me, Gotu. I could have been wished back with the dragon balls."

"Bulma, I'm not sure I could have taken on both of his men, and who knows how powerful he is. There's a good chance I would have been killed too. I'm not going to sacrifice you for nothing. There has to be another way. At the very least, Gohan was on his way to Capsule Corp. I just hope he can figure out some of what is going on. Even if he does, I don't know how long we will be here…"

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Gohan landed in front of the Briefs' home and dashed into the living room. He couldn't feel Gotu's energy anywhere here. As he entered the room, he found Vegeta and Trunks lying on the couches appearing to be struggling against some invisible enemy. "Vegeta… What… What's happening to you guys?!"

Vegeta opened his eyes just enough to see Gohan and struggled to speak. "Heard Bulma… Heart virus… Drug not finished… In her lab… Someone came… Took Gotu and Bulma…" Gohan's head swam as he tried to piece all of the words together. He remembered that Bulma had been on the verge of completing the heart virus medication, as they often called each other to speak about their science breakthroughs. The heart virus that had once attacked Goku was so rare that over the years, Bulma had instead focused her efforts on illnesses that were more widespread. The heart virus medication had been more of a side project for her.

Gohan debated to himself. 'Maybe I can break into her lab and try to finish it before it's too late… But Gotu and Bulma… Damn. I have to save Vegeta and Trunks. If they die from natural causes, they can't be revived. At least if…' He shook his head. He can't focus on what might happen to Gotu and Bulma now. He had to clear his head to complete this drug. 'Gotu can at least take care of herself, but Vegeta and Trunks are done for if I don't hurry.'

Gohan ran down the halls to find Bulma's lab. He had been there once before and had a vague memory of where it was. He finally reached the correct room, signified by a large "B" on the door. He blasted it down and began frantically searching for the antidote plans. Finally, after over ten minutes of searching, he found the plans and the half-completed product. He put on his glasses and began reading her progress. Gohan had specialized in pharmaceuticals and chemistry in college, so the plans were simple for him to understand. It appeared that Bulma had all the required ingredients in a few separated vials, but she had not yet determined what heat levels and conditions would need to be met during the mixing process for it to work properly. It was noted that it took months to get more vials of the ingredients. 'That means that I have to get the conditions just right the first time, or Trunks and Vegeta are dead.' He thought.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Goten had been flying over the mountains for hours. With Goku focusing on meditation today, it was impossible to sense his energy. Goten was beginning to get frustrated as he flew over the same spot for what seemed like the fourth time. Then, Goku's energy stood out and Goten followed it as fast as he could until he reached the river that he liked to frequent. There Goku was, trying to catch some fish in his super Saiyan form.

"DAD!" Goten waved his arms and landed in front of Goku. He quickly explained everything that Gotu had told him.

"Grab hold of my hand, son. I'm going to use instant transmission to get us there." Goten did as he was told and Goku focused on the dwindling energies of Vegeta and Trunks to get them there.

They appeared in the room where Trunks and Vegeta lay, but Goku couldn't sense his daughter's energy. He began to worry that they were too late. Then, he noticed Gohan's energy and ran down the hallway to find him.

"Gohan! What are you doing, son? Where is your sister?"

"Dad! I don't think I have all of the information, but Trunks and Vegeta are being attacked by the heart virus you had, and I'm trying to finish this antidote. I don't think they have much time left… Bulma and Gotu… They were taken by someone; Vegeta told me. I can't sense her anywhere, dad. I didn't have anywhere to begin to find her, so I decided I needed to focus on helping Trunks and Vegeta. I'm sorry."

Goku put his hand on his son's shoulder. "You made the right choice, son. Gotu would understand. You keep working on this." Goku went back into the living area and knelt by Vegeta. "Vegeta, do you have any idea who it was or where they might have gone?" Vegeta smirked.

"Kneeling to your prince, finally, Kakarot? For… a moment. I felt. Gotu's energy. By the northern mountains. Piccolo used to train there." Vegeta kept having to gasp for breaths in between his words. He had been concentrating when he sensed that the men were transporting Bulma and Gotu somewhere else. Fortunately, Gotu had remained powered up until she was thrown into the cell, and that was all the time Vegeta had needed to get a general idea of their location.

"Goten, take my hand again. We're going to the northern mountains to find your sister and Bulma."

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

It had only been a few hours that Bulma and Gotu had been locked in their cell, however, Gotu was already feeling exhausted. It was as Refone had said; the cage would eventually drain them completey of their strength. Bulma looked in worse condition than Gotu. Sweat began to appear on her forehead. 'I don't know how long Bulma can last in here…' Gotu worried. As her strength continued to drain, Gotu began feeling a strange warming sensation in the pit of her stomach. As she placed her hand there, she felt slightly better, as though someone had lent her a small amount of Ki.

"Bulma! Touch my stomach!" She ran over to Bulma and helped her place her hand there just as she had. Some color returned to Bulma's face.

"How did you do that?" She asked.

"I don't know. I just felt this sensation deep inside like someone was trying to help us and give us some energy." Gotu looked down at her stomach. As she looked back up, Bulma's eyes widened and stared at Gotu in shock. "What?" She asked.

"Are you pregnant?" Bulma whispered.

The question hit Gotu like a ton of bricks. Information came crashing down on her at once. She had completely not realized that she was a few days late. She and Trunks had not used protection when they slept together three weeks prior. Bulma truly _was_ a genius. Gotu and Trunks' half Saiyan, unborn child was helping them. The idea was wild, but it was the only explanation. Gotu stared at her stomach again for a few moments before returning her gaze to Bulma.

"It… It was only one time…" She mumbled.

"Well, dear, that's all it takes. Trunks is evidence of that, actually."

Gotu nodded. "I think you're right. I think I'm pregnant. Maybe the baby isn't having its energy sapped like us, because I'm acting as a barrier between it and the magic. But it knows we're in trouble, and is trying to help by keeping us alive until someone finds us…"


	9. Chapter 9

Hours passed, and Trunks felt himself going in and out of consciousness. He knew Gotu and his mother were in trouble, but there was virtually no energy left in his body. Fighting whatever was attacking him took all that he had left. It was a strange feeling. It was almost as if he could feel his heart slowly burning away. He pictured himself desperately swimming in a pool of scalding lava, trying in vain to escape as an anchor pulled him further down. Occasionally, he would have a small moment of peace. His hope was that these were moments when he had bested the virus, but he felt it was more likely that his body had simply gone numb from the pain. Regardless, during these minutes he could picture her face vividly. Her soft, feminine features and deep brown hair. Her jovial turquoise eyes. Their time together had been too short. He hadn't even been able to determine the depth of his feelings for her yet. This gave him the strength to keep fighting the illness. He needed to know what a future with her could be like. 'It can't end like this.' He thought, as he felt himself slip into unconsciousness again.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Gohan poured over Bulma's notes and many of her textbooks as he tried to determine the exact circumstances that were necessary to make the antidote mix properly. He knew Trunks and Vegeta were quickly running out of time. Finally, he was at a point where research could help him no more. He had been able to narrow down his options and determine the correct order to mix the ingredients in, but he was left with two possible temperatures to use during the mixing process. He had no choice; he had to guess. In this time line, this would be the first time any mixture like this was attempted. He would need to be the first to fail or succeed.

As sweat began to form on his forehead, Gohan carefully gathered the ingredients and supplies and lit a small Ki flame beneath an empty beaker. Glancing again at his notes, he adjusted the Ki flame to his chosen temperature. It was now, or never. 'Vegeta, Trunks, I hope I made the right choice…' Carefully, he began pouring the ingredients in one by one. He wouldn't know until the end if it had been the proper temperature. The antidote should be a bright purple if he did it correctly…

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"Damnit, I can't sense a thing." Goten muttered. "They must be incredible at disguising their energy. That, or their bunker is deep in the mountains… But still, Dad should have sensed something if that was the case." Goten was starting to worry. He and his father had been searching the mountains for hours now. What if Gotu and Bulma had already been killed? He clenched his fists at the thought. As much as Gotu annoyed him, she was his sister and it was his decision to waste his time searching for his father that may have meant her death.

Goku was only a couple of miles from where Goten was searching and even he was surprised at the difficulty that they were having in determining the women's location. He could feel his heart beginning to quicken its pace as he imagined what could be happening to his daughter at that moment. And Bulma, one of his oldest and dearest friends… As the intensity of his concern washed over him, a strange, pure energy seeped into his mind as though it was pulling him. Pulling him to where he needed to be…

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Gotu and Bulma were fast asleep as Refone walked up to their enclosure. "Ladies, ladies." He spoke loudly, shaking them from their slumber.

Gotu wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked to him. "What do you want?"

"Can you feel it, my dear? Trunks and Vegeta are nearing death. It feels that Trunks will go first." Refone laughed maniacally at the thought. "And then, when they have passed of _natural causes_ and can no longer be wished back by the dragon balls, I will destroy both of you and leave this planet. You can be with your men in death." He paused and glared at Bulma as she stared unblinkingly back at him. "You. You are a disgusting woman. How can you sleep next to that man all of these years? He murdered thousands. Destroyed planets. Slit the throats of children. Yet, you conceived his child."

"Wait." Bulma paused as realization dawned on her. "How do you know about Vegeta's past?"

Refone smirked. "I suppose I can tell you, as your death is imminent. I was the leader of a once great race; the Wiress people. Your putrid husband destroyed my planet, all of my subjects, and myself. However, three of my most loyal men escaped and learned of the dragon balls. They used them to bring me back to life, and we sought them again to exact our revenge on your disgraceful family. Vegeta's short time in hell was filled with my being forced to listen to him brag of his many murders. That was when I realized who he was, and how I must kill him. Little did I know some idiot woman would find him desirable and create a child with him. But, no matter, I simply added you and Trunks to my plan. You…" He turned to Gotu. "Were simply an additional causality in the process. I have no interest in you or your family. I seek only to destroy Vegeta and his line and return to space to conquer a new planet to call home."

Gotu could sense that Refone's patience was wearing thin. The moment that Trunks and Vegeta were gone, he planned to kill her and Bulma. 'Trunks… I wish we could be together right now… At least… If I could see your face one last time…' She thought as she closed her eyes and tried to envision him. She couldn't even power up so that anyone could sense her. The electric magic somehow prevented this. To her surprise, the warmth in her core began to radiate through her body again, fighting the energy sapping electricity that surrounded her cage. The energy burst forth from her stomach and engulfed her in a dull, green haze. The energy wasn't powerful, but it was comforting and just enough…

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Goku used instant transmission to find Goten before the energy he had suddenly sensed faded. It was so different than anything he had felt before.

"Goten! Do you feel that, son?!" He shouted as he appeared in front of Goten. Goten closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Dad, what is that?"

"I don't know… But I have a feeling it is exactly what we needed." Goten nodded seriously at his father, letting him know that whatever they were about to face, he was prepared. Goku took his son's hand and concentrated on the strange energy. As they were sucked into the dimension of instant transmission, they could only wonder what awaited them on the other side.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Gohan added the last ingredient to the antidote and looked at his watch. He needed to let it simmer for one minute before it was complete. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he wiped the sweat from his brow and turned away from the desk. He couldn't watch. There was exactly a 50/50 chance that he had made the right decision. He was relying on fate, and not science, this time.

The seconds seemed to creep slowly along. Gohan imagined what a world without Trunks and Vegeta might be like. They had both been such an important part of saving the world numerous times. His mind went back in time to when he first met Vegeta; he was a different person today and he didn't deserve this fate. Gohan glanced at his watch again and saw that the time was up. Hesitantly, he walked over to the full beaker and glanced within.

"Purple. It's purple! All right!" He yelled. His excitement quickly faded as he felt Trunks' energy dip deeply yet again. He hurriedly put a stopper on the top of the beaker and ran towards the room where Trunks and Vegeta lay, barely alive.

He ran to Trunks first, whose energy was lower. "Trunks…. Trunks…" Gohan shook him gently. Trunks mumbled, "Gotu…" and opened his eyes slightly and saw nothing but a blurred figure in front of him. The words the figure spoke barely sounded like English.

'Gotu…? And Trunks….? When did that happen…?' Gohan wondered to himself.

"Trunks… Drink…." was all Trunks could understand. He felt the cold glass touch his lips and concentrated all of his remaining strength towards accepting the liquid. He swallowed steadily and the liquid began to flow through him like ice. His veins and chest went from feeling as though they were burning in hell, to feeling as though they were encased in frost. Trunks' eyes shot open and he stared up at Gohan, confused.

"Go… Gohan? What did you do?! How did you….?"

"Hold on, Trunks. I'll explain once I can give Vegeta the rest of this."

Trunks waited as he watched his father receive the rest of the antidote and similarly shot up, appearing to be instantly cured. Vegeta and Trunks stared at Gohan expectedly.

"Bulma and I spoke about this antidote that she was working on as a side project for the last several years. I was able to find her plans, figure out her progress, and… Well, honestly, I had to guess towards the end, but it worked! I found the cure!" Gohan clenched his fists in excitement as his brainy side took over to rejoice in his new discovery.

"Bulma!" Vegeta shouted. "Where is she?!"

"I… don't know, Vegeta." Gohan hesitated as he saw the anger on Vegeta's face growing. "Dad and Goten went to find Bulma and Gotu while I worked on the antidote."

Reality hit Trunks. "Gotu… I wish I could find you…" Trunks whispered. As though Shenron himself had heard Trunks' request, Goku's energy hit the three Saiyans full force. He was powering up for a great battle, there was no doubt.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: This chapter is going to be very Vegeta-focused, but I'm using it for some character development for Trunks so be patient with me, please!

The shock of feeling Goku's energy passed and was replaced by confusion for Trunks. He felt a much smaller, and extremely pure energy. It couldn't possibly be anyone associated with the evil men responsible; it was too inexplicably good for that. But it also didn't belong to Gotu, Goten, Goku, or Bulma, either. Something about it reminded Trunks slightly of himself. He tried to focus on it, but it faded away again.

Without a word, Vegeta flew off in the direction of the battle. His thoughts were only on assuring Bulma's safety. Trunks quickly followed behind his father. In the back of his mind, he was slightly hesitant. His body ached with exhaustion from struggling against the deadly virus that plagued him for the better half of the day. He watched his father closely ahead of him. There was no sign that Vegeta felt any of the same tiredness; he was completely focused. 'How can he be so resilient?' Trunks wondered.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Goku and Goten faced Refone's three men. They had been waiting for the Saiyans in the room where Gotu and Bulma were held. Feeling the powerful energies of the three men, Goku and Goten immediately powered to full strength and readied themselves for the fight.

"Let them go." Goku said. "We can still battle but let Bulma and Gotu leave this place."

Refone appeared from behind his men, laughing heartily as he turned his eyes to meet Goku. "No, no, my dear boy. Bulma's destruction is integral to my vengeance. Besides, you are no match for my fighters. If we let the women go, we will just need to hunt them down again once we have killed you and your scrawny partner." He gestured to Goten at his last phrase. "Well, boys, I will be a few rooms down. Please come find me once you have disposed of these two." Refone walked away, leaving his men to their work.

Verizio and Atandt used their instant transmission to appear behind Goku before he was prepared. Verizio landed a punch directly to Goku's side before he had time to react. The power packed into the hit was obvious from the pained expression on Goku's face.

"Dad!" Goten turned towards his father, leaving Spantru the perfect opening. He began to gather his energy for a ki blast. Goten turned his eyes back toward Spantru just as it was too late. The blast had already left his hands, and Goten struggled to push it back. Goten began to feel the tips of his fingers burning as he struggled against the ball. After another minute, the ball broke past his grasp and landed straight to Goten's chest. He was knocked back against the wall, cracking the structure, and lay there, motionless.

Gotu watched helplessly as her father fought against the three powerful fighters. One blast was all it had taken to knock Goten out, and her father was beginning to look as though he would soon meet a similar fate. Verizio and Atandt continued to land punch after punch. Their speed was incredible, and their strength was beyond measure. Even if Goku somehow managed to defeat these two, he still had Spantru and Refone to contest with. The odds were not in their favor. The battle went on for another few hours. Goku fought desperately, but it was clear that with every blow, his strength was nearing its breaking point. Finally, Atandt hit Goku with a blast that engulfed him in flames upon impact. As the flames subsided, Goku struggled to get back up, but fell back again. His hair returned to its normal state; his super saiyan powers were gone.

"Daddy!" Gotu screamed. She watched as Verizio inched slowly towards Goku with a menacing smirk on his face. Her heart began to pound as she realized what she was about to witness. But then, she felt a power nearby and heard a low rumble coming from the ceiling. She looked up and saw the ceiling beginning to crack and a yellow glow started to pour through the cracks and into the room. It appeared that she was the only who was noticing.

-Crack-

A large piece of rock had broken off from the ceiling and fell to the floor, taking Verizio down with it. Before anyone else knew what was happening, the ceiling began breaking away, and Refone's three men were buried under the rubble. Gotu looked up as the sunshine from outside began to pour into the room, slightly blinding her for a moment. She blinked the sun from her eyes and looked up to find Vegeta and Trunks standing angrily in front of the rubble. Sensing that the men were still alive beneath it, Trunks and Vegeta blasted the piles until it appeared that nothing was left but dust. Believing the fighters were dead, Trunks let his guard down and went over to Goku. Vegeta turned to the cage and eyed Bulma. His stoic expression broke for a moment as relief to see her safe washed over him.

No one was paying attention to the pile of debris, but Spantru was not dead. He gathered his Ki as the fighters tended to their wounded. The blast finally reached full power, and he positioned it towards Trunks and Goku. It was a direct hit, and Trunks fell against Goku as they both flew across the room. A gash appeared on Trunks' head as his skull hit the concrete wall. The blood began to trickle down his cheek, and his eyes rolled in the back of his head as he slumped forward. Goku was still conscious, but scrapes, blood, and sweat covered his body. It was clear that he could barely move. Vegeta turned and took in what had just happened. He began turning his head, frantically looking for the source, but Spantru was suddenly behind him and landed a kick against the side of his head.

"ENOUGH OF THIS! YOU ARE NOTHING!" Vegeta powered up beyond any level he had reached before as he saw Trunks lying against the wall. He pummeled Spantru without mercy until shooting an energy blast to ensure Spantru's death. Silence filled the room as Vegeta turned back to the enclosure.

"Vegeta… That was amazing." Gotu breathed. "I overheard them speaking earlier, and only Refone can open this cage. If you touch the electricity, it will just drain you of your power. We've tried everything!"

"Hmph…" Vegeta scowled at the cage. "And where is the coward now?"

"He said he was going to be a few rooms down. Vegeta… You and Nappa destroyed his planet. Those three men were subjects of his, and they escaped and wished him back to exact their revenge against you. It's why he wanted you, Bulma, and Trunks dead."

Vegeta thought for a moment. "Yes, that's right. I recognize them now. Such odd looking creatures. I will find him and come back." Vegeta's eyes met Bulma's again. She smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up, while Gotu watched the silent interaction of the strange couple and laughed to herself.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Refone could sense that his men were gone, but he also could sense that the only fighter left to contend with him was Vegeta. He opened the door to the room he was in, inviting Vegeta inside.

"Interesting how fate works itself out, isn't it, Vegeta?" Vegeta looked up at Refone as he entered the room.

"You are a disgrace. You call yourself a ruler of a great warrior race? You wanted to get revenge against me and then can't even face me yourself? Instead, you grovel to a dragon to do your dirty work for you. Then, you kidnap my wife who cannot even defend herself. Where is your pride?"

"Some things are even more important than pride, Vegeta." Refone smirked and became engulfed by a bright blue aura. His hair changed from black to a matching shade of blue, and he suddenly appeared as though he was a sapphire crystal on fire.

Vegeta sensed his dramatic increase in power, but he laughed. "I'm going to turn your into dust, you imbecile."

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Gotu and Bulma sat uneasily, hoping Vegeta would return any moment. Gotu could feel both of their powers; they were quite evenly matched. She glanced to Trunks and her heart ached to see his blood stained face. He was so close, but so far from her. All she wanted was to cradle his head in her lap and meet his eyes when he returned to consciousness.

"Do you love him?" Bulma asked.

Gotu gasped at the unexpected question. "I… I do…. No one else could ever understand me the way that he does. I think I always have; even when we were children. I think we've always been tied together, like this is how things were supposed to be… Is that weird?"

"If there is one thing I learned from when Trunks came from the future all those years ago, it was that some things are meant to happen, regardless of what goes on in the rest of the world. Trunks came to us to warn us about the androids before Vegeta and I had felt anything for one another. Even though many things were different from that point on than they were in Trunks' original time, we still ended up with Trunks in our time. Vegeta and I were supposed to exist together; whether here or there."

Gotu had heard that a different Trunks came from the future once, many years ago, to help the Z fighters, but she had no idea they didn't originally know who he was when he came. Bulma was right. It was amazing that she and Vegeta had still found each other under such different circumstances. Maybe thinking that she and Trunks were connected like this wasn't so strange after all. A sudden drop in Refone's energy shook Gotu from her thoughts and she shot her head up to stare at the entrance.

A minute later, Vegeta came stepping in, dragging Refone, who was covered in cracks and with broken limbs, behind him. "You will do whatever is required to let the women out." He threw him roughly in front of the cage.

Refone spoke a strange language and the electricity disappeared. Gotu pushed the door open and helped Bulma out. The second they were far enough away, Vegeta blasted Refone until there was nothing left but a small pile of baby blue sand.


	11. Chapter 11

Trunks began to stir. Gotu ran to him and whispered his name, "Trunks…" His eyes fluttered open.

"G… Gotu….? You're... alright?"

"Vegeta saved us! All of us! He reached an incredible level of power after Spantru knocked you out, and took him down almost immediately! Then he went after Refone and made him get us out before destroying him. He was seriously fantastic!"

Trunks turned his head to his father, who was slumping Goku over his shoulders and preparing to take off in flight. He glared. 'Even after all of my recent training, I still can't compete with father or Goku. The woman I claimed to care about would have been dead if it weren't for them. How worthless can I be?' Trunks thought.

"Trunks?" Gotu saw his expression change. As though a light switch had been hit, his demeanor flipped and he pushed Gotu from him and made his way back to Capsule Corp.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

A few days passed, and Trunks barely spoke to anyone. He refused to see Gotu or answer any of her phone calls. Almost every waking minute was spent training by himself. He walked into the kitchen for lunch and saw his mother sitting at the table, sipping her coffee.

"Mother, we need to talk." Bulma looked up at her son, troubled.

"Yes, I had hoped you would want to talk. What is going on with you, Trunks?"

"I've decided I am resigning as President of Capsule Corp."

"ARE YOU INSANE?! AND WHO, EXACTLY, SHOULD REPLACE YOU?!"

"Gotu will be fine without me. She could easily take my role. You would be surprised how intelligent she is when it comes to business. Don't look at me like that, mother. I won't change my mind. I have more important things to do."

"Have you even spoken to Gotu?" Bulma asked. Her thoughts returned to the small Ki that had helped them back in Refone's lair.

Trunks grimaced slightly at Gotu's name. He tried to avoid thinking about her. His training needed to be his only priority now.

"Trunks? Are you ever planning on speaking to her again? How can you treat her like this?!"

"You don't understand, mother. Just leave me alone." Trunks walked away towards the gravity room. Bulma put her head in her hands. She was confused about the change that had taken place in her son so suddenly.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

-1 month later-

Gotu sat on a ledge, hanging her head. She had taken a pregnancy test that morning and, as she expected, it was positive. She was pregnant with Trunks' child.

'Damn him, this should be a good thing. But he's changed…" She thought. In the last month, Trunks had become someone Gotu no longer felt like she knew. Refone's attack had changed Trunks. Suddenly, he had resigned as president of Capsule Corp. and Gotu had only seen him once since, and that was in town, by accident. She had tried calling and going to the Briefs' home, but he was always too busy training. He refused to rest. The passion she loved in him had become something different; something darker. "Vegeta…" She whispered.

Thinking of his father, she realized it was him she needed to speak to, not Trunks. She flew off to the Briefs' home one last time.

She burst through the front door and met surprised looks from Bulma and Vegeta in the living room.

"YOU!" She pointed at Vegeta and yelled, with an uncharacteristic anger in her voice. "It's YOUR fault he is like this. I've heard the stories about how you were before. Training constantly and neglecting everything, and everyone, else. It's your blood in him that has done this. You probably encouraged this and you have no idea what it is doing to me." She fell to her knees as she finished.

Bulma ran over to comfort her, but Gotu pushed her off and scowled harder. She raised her eyes to stare at Vegeta, awaiting his response.

"Gotu, Trunks never knew me then. I have not encouraged this in him. Trunks is exploring a piece of himself that he didn't know existed. He must work through this and find out what is important to him. If it didn't happen now, it would have eventually. It is good for your relationship with him that he do this now." Vegeta didn't break Gotu's stare.

"NO! It is NOT good that he do this now. You have NO idea what you're saying. I've seen him once this month, and he wouldn't even speak to me. How are we supposed to go on like this? I need him right now…" She stopped.

Bulma and Vegeta looked at one another knowingly.

"So it's true? You're pregnant…" Bulma breathed.

"Of course I am! The worst possible time for him to decide to be like this. I need him right now…" Gotu retorted.

"Gotu, you are the strongest woman I know. You haven't needed any man, including Trunks, a day in your life. But a child does change everything." Bulma finished as she continued to stare at Vegeta. He nodded at her as he walked away and let the women continue their conversation.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Vegeta walked to the gravity room and opened it, interrupting Trunks' training.

"Come to train with me, Dad?" He asked.

"No, son. I don't train at this time of the day. You know this is time I reserve to spend with your mother." Trunks turned away, sensing his father had more to say.

"Trunks, you will talk to Gotu. There is absolutely no reason you cannot take 10 minutes from your training to speak with her. If 10 minutes will be the difference between your success or your defeat, you are weaker than you think."

"Fine." Trunks wiped his forward and exited the room. Vegeta and Trunks walked together to the living room and met Bulma and Gotu. Gotu looked up as Trunks approached. The sadness in her eyes was like a slap from reality. He suddenly found himself questioning his insistence on training.

Bulma and Vegeta left the room as Gotu's sad stare became angry.

"What the hell is your problem lately, Trunks?!"

"My weakness almost got my girl friend and mother killed. I had to wait for my father to come save us, as usual, because of how soft I became. It won't happen again."

"But don't you think there needs to be some balance!? I mean, isn't this exactly what your father did to your mother when you were born? Why would you want to be that part of him?"

"How can you not understand how important strength is?! You're a Saiyan for Kami's sake! You've lost your edge!"

"No, Trunks. Don't tell me I don't understand. If it weren't for me, you would still probably be sitting on your ass in the presidential suite of Capsule Corp., wasting away your Saiyan blood. YOU told me that I awakened your passion, and now you're trying to tell me that _I_ don't understand? You have some balls…"

"You never had a problem with this warrior spirit before. Why now?"

"Because before, you did it to be your best and to protect the people you care about. Now you're so focused on your own humiliation at your father's superior strength that you're willing to kill yourself and us just to attain it. Don't kid yourself, Trunks. This isn't about protecting ANYONE. This isn't _noble._ This is about your rivalry with your own father. I won't be like our mothers. They had to wait around for years, not knowing if our fathers would ever come home alive. I refuse to lead that life. We were supposed to be partners in protecting this world _together,_ and now it's all about you. You're selfish, Trunks. Selfish and prideful at everyone else's expense."

Trunks stood gaping at Gotu. She had never been so aggressive with him before, and he didn't like it.

"What the hell is wrong with _you_ , Gotu? This isn't you, either. I may have become prideful, but you've become a real witch." He immediately regretted it when it came out of his mouth. Her eyes widened and shined with tears. She immediately hardened her expression, however, and the tears disappeared.

"I'm pregnant, Trunks. Don't ever speak to me again. Good luck with your training." She flew away, leaving Trunks stunned and confused.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Vegeta and Bulma could hear most of the conversation from the kitchen. Bulma looked at Vegeta, heartbroken at how her son had responded to Gotu. Trunks walked into the kitchen to find them there.

"I suppose you heard everything? Well, if she doesn't want to speak to me, then there isn't any point in trying anyway. I'll be in the gravity room."

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Trunks had been training every day, almost all day, for almost seven months now. As he was walking to the kitchen, he saw his parents come in, laughing about something.

"Where you have you guys been all day?" Trunks asked.

"We were at the Son's house. We've been going over there on Friday nights for dinner every week. Haven't you noticed?" Bulma responded.

Trunks remembered that it had been a while since he saw Goku and Chi Chi. "They always used to come over here for dinner. Why the change?" Vegeta and Bulma looked uncomfortable for a moment before Bulma answered.

"I wanted to start going over there instead. It's nice to see Gotu and Goten."

Trunks' heart skipped a beat when he heard her name. It had been months since either of his parents had mentioned her in front of him. He felt like his mother was testing him to see if he missed her. He walked away without a word. He was exhausted. He had finally run out of senzu beans from Korin, and he couldn't grow them quick enough to keep up with Trunks' needs, as he practically killed himself every day with his intense training. He had no choice but to rest now, and rest always allowed his thoughts to be consumed with her face.

He wondered how her pregnancy had gone so far, envisioning how a swollen stomach would look on her petite frame. Even more, he wondered when she would have the child and what it would look like. He was reaching a plateau with his power that he couldn't seem to break through. His frustration caused him to question everything, and this reminded him of her encouraging ways. She had always been a source of strength for him, and his world was becoming empty without her.


	12. Chapter 12

Her brown hair surrounded him. Heat from her skin seemed to set his own ablaze as he watched the steady rise and fall of her chest. She slept soundly next to him. Overwhelmed with emotion, Trunks reached out to stroke her cheek, but then, she began to disappear, slowly, as though she was nothing more than a mirage. Suddenly, he was pulled from his empty bed room to the middle of another world. Chaos enveloped the mysterious planet. Thunderstorms, tornados, volcanoes, covered the land as torrential rain poured down on Trunks. The world faded away again, but the rain continued. It took Trunks a moment to realize that he was now encased in a small glass room that was filling up with the strange rain. Somehow, even without clouds, it continued inside of this enclosed space. Trunks couldn't escape, but he saw her watching him from the outside, concern across her face.

The water continued to rise until it covered him from head to toe.

Trunks yelled out as he was finally shaken from his nightmare. Clutching at his throat, he stood up, heart pounding, at how real the dream had felt. 'It started out such a warm, peaceful dream...' He thought, remembering how real the feel of Gotu next to him had been as well. His heart ached. As much as he thought that he remembered her face well after all of these months, nothing compared to seeing her image encompass his mind the way it had in his dream.

He looked around, finally realizing that he had passed out during his training and was still in the gravity room. His body was covered in sweat, but he wasn't sure if it was due to his training or his dream. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and began walking out into the yard. His mother and father sat on the patio, laughing, as Krillin told an embarrassing story about Goku from their childhood. Their cheeks were all slightly flushed; empty wine glasses sat on the nearby table.

Trunks smiled for a moment as he thought about how much his father had changed over the years. The battle with Buu had given him a new appreciation for life and his family and friends. Vegeta, enjoying the company of his loved ones in this way, still didn't happen often, but when it did, both his father and mother looked as relaxed as Trunks had ever seen them.

"Hey, Trunks! What's goin' on, my man?" Krillin bellowed.

Trunks stifled a chuckle as Krillin wobbled over to him. "Come sit with us! There's some food and wine left! You must be starving!" Krillin grabbed a hold of Trunks' arm and began to guide him to the table.

"Uh… Sure, Krillin, thanks. I'll just eat though."

"Aw, come on! You never let loose anymore! Gotu has been having a blast these past months; you should too!"

Krillin's drunk words felt like a shot through Trunks' stomach. After his vivid dream, hearing her name was the last thing he had wanted. And what did he mean that she was 'having a blast?' Trunks eyed the bottle of wine for a moment as his pain intensified.

"Yeah, you know what? I'd love a glass, Krillin."

"Awesome!" Krillin sloppily poured a large glass of wine for Trunks and threw a plate of sandwiches his way. Bulma and Vegeta had been too engrossed in a conversation of their own to notice how much Trunks' was drinking. Glass after glass, Trunks continued to hope that the alcohol would numb his feelings. Unfortunately, it seemed to make her face more vivid, and his pain more unbearable.

As the sun began to set on the day, Krillin finally left, flying crookedly home. Trunks sat in the grass, unable to focus on anything. A soft giggle floated along the air from the nearby kitchen and reached Trunks' ears. He entered the house and saw his father and mother in an embrace, kissing each other passionately. Normally, he would make fun of his parents for being caught this way, but in his inebriated state, he couldn't handle seeing two people in love. His body began to shake as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

Bulma and Vegeta broke from each other's kiss and Bulma turned her head to see her son, barely standing as he leaned against the door way, his eyes clenched shut.

"Trunks?" She breathed as she walked over to him and touched his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"OF COURSE NOT!" He yelled. "I don't know who I am anymore, mom. I have nightmares almost every night, and they're just becoming more and more real. Some nights they're about a great evil killing everyone I care about. Others, I'm haunted by what I've given up. And others, the chaos inside of me just threatens to rip my body in two. How am I supposed to be the best? No matter how much I train now, it seems to do nothing. Am I at the peak? If I can't surpass this, is it worth not being with her?" His words were slightly slurred as he leaned his head into his mother's shoulder.

Bulma smelled the alcohol on his breath and realized just how much her son must have had to drink. He would normally never speak about his emotions this way. He had retained the pride of his father in that way.

"Trunks, let's just get you to bed, sweety." She turned her head and glared at Vegeta, mouthing 'help me with him'. Vegeta rolled his eyes and complied with his wife's request. With Vegeta's help, it was easy to get Trunks into his bed. He fell asleep almost immediately as Bulma and Vegeta closed the door to his bedroom.

"I'm worried about him, Vegeta. He's been so silent for the last six months, and then all of a sudden he gets drunk and breaks like that?"

"Bulma, I told you… He needs to figure out what is important to him. He needs to understand that even with strength, there must be a balance. The mind and body must be perfectly in sync. The mind cannot reach its potential when he isn't being true to himself. He is coming to the point that he will realize where his real strength lies."

Bulma smiled briefly and caught eyes with her husband. "Like you did?"

Vegeta smirked and stomped down the hall towards their bed room.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

The next morning, Trunks' awoke, unable to remember the encounter he had with his parents the previous evening. His head throbbed as he sat up and saw that he was safely tucked into his bed. He shuffled down to the kitchen to get something for breakfast, and met his mother there.

"And how are you doing this morning, dear?" She asked.

"I've had… better days. I didn't do anything weird last night, did I? I don't really remember anything. Maybe I drank a little _too_ much…" He laughed slightly.

Bulma eyed him carefully before speaking. "Nope, you were just stumbling around trying to dance with Krillin." She lied. She had decided last night that Vegeta was right, he needed to come to terms with his feelings on his own.

Bulma set a plate of eggs and sausage in front of Trunks as the phone rang. She ran to answer it in the next room.

"Hello…? …No, Gotu, tell them that we won't have the antidote available for mass production for another two weeks. There is absolutely no way to get around it. Some of the ingredients come from across the globe… How are you feeling?"

Trunks couldn't help but overhear as their conversation continued. Knowing Gotu was on the other side of the phone seemed to make his head throb harder; something that Trunks hadn't thought possible. Trunks heard his mother mention something about only "one more month". 'The baby…." He thought. His body felt tortured from the inside. 'Why am I doing this to us?'


	13. Chapter 13

Gotu's pregnancy had been overall fairly easy. She missed Trunks at times, but she kept herself focused on caring for herself and spending time with her family. She had come to terms with his choices. Recently, Bulma and Vegeta began coming over more frequently as well. Bulma and Chi Chi gushed over Gotu constantly. The excitement of the impending new life entering their worlds was the focus now. No one mentioned Trunks anymore.

However, as the end of her pregnancy neared, Trunks invaded her dreams. Sometimes, they were so vivid, she could almost swear she could really feel his soft hair as she ran her fingers through it in her dreams. She felt angry with herself for experiencing these visions. She didn't _want_ to think of him. It did nothing but remind her of what life should be like in this moment.

Gotu was lying on her bed one evening, when she remembered coming home after telling Trunks about her pregnancy. When Gotu first explained their conversation to her mother and father, Chi Chi was livid, but Goku was silent.

"Trunks will come around…" He had said.

Gotu knew that her father always saw the best in people, but he didn't know Trunks like Gotu did. He was a completely different person than who she had loved. Yes, she had loved him deeply. She still did. But the person she loved was gone. Their first conversation at Capsule Corp. was always fresh in her mind. He had been stoic and bored. She watched him become a burning fire, and then watched it get put out.

Suddenly, she felt an extreme pain in her stomach and a pop, followed by a clear gush of liquid down her thighs. Her water broke which meant the baby would be coming shortly. She ran into the living room to find her mother and father still awake on the couch. Her heart clenched as she realized what it must mean.

"Mom, Dad, I think it's time!" Gotu was shaking with nerves and anticipation.

Chi Chi bolted to her daughter's side. She directed Goku to get ice water and towels and led Gotu back to her bed. This far out into the country, it was common for women to have a home birth, and Gotu had decided to follow this tradition. Chi Chi hurried to the phone. She had promised Bulma that she would call her as soon as the Gotu went into labor.

The phone rang at the Briefs' home. Bulma rushed to answer it. There was only one reason they would receive a call at 10:30 at night. Trunks heard the phone as well and got up, irritated, to answer it. Bulma and Trunks picked up at the same time, but Bulma spoke first. She was unaware Trunks was also listening to the call.

"Hello, Chi Chi?" She asked.

"Bulma, it's time! Gotu just went into labor! Things are progressing extremely quickly, so we think it will only be another couple of hours!"

"Vegeta and I will be right over!" Bulma screeched into the phone. She bounded off to grab Vegeta.

Trunks stood dumbfounded with the phone in his hand as his mother and Chi Chi hung up. "My… My child… is coming…" He whispered to himself as his stomach began to swirl. "And my mother didn't even think to come tell me…" He suddenly realized why. "That's how much of an ass I've been… I have been so selfish and pig-headed that my own mother didn't think I would want to know that my child is coming. The way I've been acting is far more disgraceful than not being the strongest… I can't do this anymore. I don't know why I've been fighting it. I have to be with her…" He grabbed his jacket and ran past his mother and father, into the air.

"Do you think he knows? But how could he?!" Bulma exclaimed. "But he's going… He's actually going to be with her…?" Bulma's eyes began to well with tears as Vegeta rolled his eyes, but a small grin began to spread over his lips as he watched his son soar away.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Gotu's face was covered in sweat and her beautiful features were twisted in pain. She focused on the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Chi Chi watched her daughter in amazement as she endured her labor so calmly. Chi Chi's had been much more… extensive, as Goku had said. It was getting close, and Chi Chi wondered if Bulma and Vegeta would make it in time.

Gotu closed her eyes and attempted to keep her mind on pleasant thoughts. She had chosen not to find out the sex of the baby, and she was excited to meet her child soon. She let her mind drift to thoughts of Trunks. She remembered the way his lips had softly pressed against hers that first time they kissed in the gravity room. She remembered the night he told her about his loneliness as the president of Capsule Corp and how depressed he had been during those years he didn't train. And she remembered the night they conceived this child.

Her eyes welled with tears, but not from the pain of her labor; it was the pain of feeling so close to him, and knowing he didn't want her anymore. It was the first time she had allowed herself to truly feel emotion at their separation. Maybe it was her vulnerability as she lay there, scared and in pain. Maybe it was the knowledge that her child would soon be there, but its father wouldn't be there to hold him or her. The tears gently fell from her face.

"Trunks, I loved you…" She whispered, unintentionally, out loud.

"And I love you, Gotu."

Her eyes shot open as she accused herself of hallucinating, but there he was. He brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face and ran his thumb along her lips. "I'm sorry." He whispered. The strong-willed half-Saiyan woman let her guard down fully. Tears splashed from her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Relief flooded over both Trunks and Gotu as they felt the warmth of each other's bodies after so long. Suddenly, a stabbing pain hit Gotu low. It was time.

With Trunks by her side, and Chi Chi and Bulma there to encourage and guide her, their child was born, healthy, with a happily wagging Saiyan tail. Gotu watched Trunks' interact with their child. His face was overtaken by awe and nerves. She smiled as she let sleep overtake her gently. It had been months since she experienced the restful sleep she had that night.

When she awoke the next morning, she turned over to find Trunks looking at her with a smile.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"I overheard my mother on the phone with yours. My mother didn't even come to tell me. It made me realize how selfish I've been over these months. I kept thinking about my pain and what I wanted, but it never occurred to me what I was doing to everyone else; to you… My own family thought I would be too busy and self-absorbed to care about the birth of my child and it was my fault that they felt that way. My mother, who always saw the best in me, had given up on me. I couldn't avoid the truth anymore. You were right. I let surpassing my father's power become my only focus. I lost my passion to protect and replaced it with a selfish desire for power. I suppose I am like my father…"

"Trunks, your father has become a great man. He has had to deal with his own weaknesses and demons, and he came out above them. He chose something better for himself and his family. That's not something to be ashamed of. Be proud to be his son." Her strength, even after giving birth to their child, was as strong as ever. She constantly amazed him.

"So, what do you think we should name our child?" He asked.

Gotu looked down at the baby in Trunks' arms. A small tuft of black hair graced the child's head. Black, slanted eyes stared back at her as she reached out a hand to stroke the baby-soft skin.

"Isn't it obvious?" She replied with a smile. Trunks looked at the goofy grin that spread the face of the girl he loved as she said "Vegito".


	14. Epilogue

A/N: So this is the end… BUT don't forget to visit my sequel which follows the journey of their son as a teenager who goes back in time to Planet Vegeta. He undergoes a strange new transformation, and his parents suddenly find themselves battling him for the past.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Trunks brought the baby into the living room. No one but Bulma, Chi Chi, and Trunks had seen the baby yet and over the last hour, the house had become filled with their friends and family. Every Z fighter had made the trip; Vegeta and Goku were standing in the corner nearest to the bed room as Trunks made his way to them. He held Vegito out toward them and they looked, shocked, at the child. He had Goku's facial structure, but Vegeta's eyes, and both of their black hair. The child really looked nothing like Gotu or Trunks. He was a perfect mixture of Vegeta and Goku.

"Awesome! Vegeta! He's like a mini us!" Vegeta glared at Goku as he laughed. "So… What did you name the little guy?"

"Gotu picked it… Vegito…" Trunks smiled at the shocked expression on his father's face.

"A proud Saiyan name. And he looks like a Saiyan, too." Vegeta didn't say much else about the child throughout the day, but it was clear that he was proud. When a drunk Krillin attempted to reach for Vegito, Vegeta tripped him before he could get too close, eliciting a hardy laugh from the group.

The Z fighters celebrated the new addition until the sun went down and Chi Chi finally forced everyone to go home. Trunks went back into the bed room to check on Gotu and Vegito and found them snuggled against one another, sleeping peacefully. Carefully, he curled up next to Gotu and listened to his son's soft snoring until he finally fell asleep himself.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

-5 years later-

A powerful blast shook the Capsule Corp. grounds.

"MOM! That's not fair!" Vegito rubbed his head angrily as he got up from the blast. "Dad never goes this hard on me!"

"And that's precisely why he's not allowed to train you anymore." Vegeta smirked. He had been watching from the edge of the yard. "No one ever turned super Saiyan by getting gently knocked down a few times. Do you want to attain that, or don't you?"

Vegito glared at his grandfather and sighed. "Why don't you train me then, grandpa?"

"Vegito… I'm not sure that's the best idea…" Gotu muttered, concerned.

"I want to become a super Saiyan, Mom. I need to fight with the best. Grandpa is the best."

Vegeta laughed. "Alright, boy. Remember, you asked for it. I never went easy on your father and I certainly won't go easy on you." He paused. "You know what makes a Saiyan stronger?"

"What, grandpa?"

"Being close to death…" Vegito's faced turned fearful as he realized what his grandfather was suggesting.

Vegeta began dragging him off toward the gravity room as Trunks and Gotu looked on, unsure. Bulma bounced out towards them, smiling, but it quickly faded as she saw the direction Vegeta and Vegito were heading together.

"You're not really going to let Vegeta train him, are you?" She asked, turning her face furiously back and forth between Gotu and Trunks.

"I think your mother may be on to something, Trunks… Maybe I should go get him…"

"No. My father's right. I go far too easy on Vegito, and even you do, Gotu. If Vegito wants to give training with him a try, I say we let him, uninterrupted. My father never went easy on me, but he also never killed or seriously injured me. For him, that's saying something." He smiled warmly back at Gotu and his mother. "Now, let's go eat!"

As the three enjoyed lunch together, there were several moments when the ground shook ominously. The rest of the inhabitants of West City assumed these were earth quakes, but the three Capsule Corp. heads knew better. This was the Earth's response to two of the greatest warriors on the planet competing against one another.

Vegito, battered and bruised, slunk into the living room hours later, looking tired, yet serious.

"Are you okay, Gi?" Gotu oftened called Vegito, Gi, as a nickname. She gawked at him, slightly concerned.

Turning his head slowly, he made eye contact with his mother and a large grin spread across his face. For a moment, he was a perfect reflection of Goku. "GRANDPA IS AMAZING!" He yelled. "I'm sore, and tired, and he definitely won, but… I'm just… FULL OF ENERGY STILL! I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE HIM!"

Bulma, Gotu, and Trunks were taken aback for a moment, but the excited expression on Vegito's face didn't falter. Suddenly, the three adults burst into laughter. Vegito was such an ironic and powerful combination of Goku and Vegeta. Even beaten to a near pulp, his excitement for battle and strength kept him asking for more.

The remainder of the day came and went. Trunks slid off his shirt and walked into his bathroom to splash his face with some cool water. The icy liquid calmed his naturally heated skin and relaxed him. It was the easiest way for him to unwind from the day. He exited the bathroom, back into the bedroom he shared with Gotu. She was laying on their bed, looking towards the window where a full moon shone into the room. The bluish glow highlighted her beautiful face; it caught Trunks off guard for a moment.

She turned when she felt his presence in the doorway, unmoving.

"Trunks…? What's wrong?" She asked.

He blushed. He had spent the last five years of his life rather close with this woman, and it still hit him to his core every time the emotion he had for her bubbled to his surface. It never failed, his scarlet cheeks always gave his thoughts away. Gotu smiled at him as she noticed.

"What are you thinking?"

"You just… the moon. The way it hits your face sometimes… You look so gentle."

Gotu stood up and stepped close to Trunks. She lay her right hand over his left, which hung loosely by his side. She pulled her face closer to his, until her lips were positioned right against his ear. Her next words came in a whisper.

"I want another baby."

Somehow, Trunks' cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red than they had been before. Most of the time, their encounters had been highly unplanned and passionate. Yet, here she was, essentially asking him to be with her, right here, right now. His pulse felt as though the veins would jump out of his skin, and his entire body seemed to go up a few degrees in temperature.

Her hands suddenly ran along his bare chest. Even though she had fought and trained for most of her life, somehow, her hands were still soft to the touch. Her silky skin caressed his rough, scarred body. The thought of having another child was slightly unnerving to him, but he was afraid his body could only take so much of the torture she was forcing upon him. Each stroke of her hand felt let hot coals being lain against his skin.

When he could take no more, his instincts began to take over control. His rough hands reached up to the back of her head, and pulled her face nearer to his. Lips against lips, their hands became entangled in one another's bodies as they passionately kissed. It wasn't long before they found themselves back against the bed…

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

As they lay next to one another in the aftermath of their passion, Trunks let his mind wander to those first moments when she walked into his office almost 7 years ago. Immediately, he had known Gotu was beautiful and positive. But it was her passion and instinct to protect that had grabbed his soul so immediately to hers. Being with her had always felt natural. And during those dark moments following the attack, being away from her had felt wrong, no matter how much he had tried to deny it. Her love, her face, her being, ignited him. Theirs was a romance meant to be from the beginning.

Two half Saiyans, together, whole.


End file.
